Improvement in sheep-racks



y UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

A. D.. STANSBURY, OF GROSS CREEK TOWNSHIP, BROOKE COUNTY, W. VA.

IMPROVEMENT IN SHEEP-RACKS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, A. D. STANSBURY, of Cross Greek township, Brooke county, State of West Virginia, have invented a new and Improved Sheep-Rack; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure l is an elevation of one side of my sheep-rack. Fig. 2 is a top view. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross section through the rack arranged for use. Fig. 4is a similar view, showing the rack when thrown open and its bottom tilted up.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to certain novel iniprovements in the construction of 'racks and trough which are used to contain food for sheep.

It consists in constructing the trough of the rack with a pivoted tilting bottom which will remain closed when feed is in the trough, but which can be tilted up when it is desired to clean the trough, as will be hereinafter described.

The invention also consists in the use of a double-hinged rack,which is so applied to the trough that it can be opened and food introduced into the trough while the sheep are feeding, and which is so constructed that it will prevent the sheep from wasting their food or injuring their wool while feeding, as will be hereinafter described.

To enable others skilled in the art to understand my invention, I will describe its construction and operation.

In the accompanyin gdrawin gs, Arepresents a trough which is composed of two inclined boards and a horizontal bottom board, a. The

side boards are secured at their ends to the uprightpieces B B,that constitute the ends of the trough, as well as the legs and supports for the racks C C. The bottom board has its longitudinal edges beveled to fit snugly against the edges of the inclined sides of the trough, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 and this board a is pivoted at b b to the ends B B of the trough, so that one side of it will preponderate, and thus be kept in .place by the weight of the food which is put into the trough without the necessity of employinga fastening to hold it in place. When, however, it is desired to clean the trough the bottom a is tilted up to the position shown in Fig. 4.

The racks C C consist of round rods c c,

' which are arranged close to and along the upper edges of the side boards of the trough A, as shown in Figs. 1, 3, and 4, and pivoted at their extremities to the end boards, B B, so that these rods will oscillate. The upper rails, d d, of the racks are semi-cylindrical, and when the racks are brought over the trough and secured together by the hinged boards D D the at sides of the rails d d abut against each other, as shown in Fig. 3, thus giving the two rails the appearance of a single rail.

The partitions g g g, which, with the rails c d, make upthe racks, are mortised into these rails, and arranged at. regular intervals apart from-one end to the other of the trough, so as to form a number of stalls for keeping the sheep apart while eating. These partitions are made in the form of segments, with their inner edges straight and their outer edges curved and also rounded, so that no corners will be left to ruflle the Wool on the sheep. The object of constructin g the partitions of the rack of this form is to cause them to press upon the hay which is put into the trough and prevent the sheep from pulling out the hay and wasting it. The racks are confined in place by means of the notched boards D D, which are hinged to the' upper edges of the end boards, B B, and hang down so as to receive between their notches the two rails d cl. When it is desired to swin g the racks open, as shown in Fig. 4, the hanging boards D D must be raised.

For some kinds of food it will not be necessary to secure the racks in place over the trough.

They may be arranged as shown in Fig. 4, when they will still serve to keep the sheep apart and prevent them from infringing on each other while eating; or, if desirable, the racks O C may be secured in upright positions by means of the notches h h, near the ends of the hinged boards D D, which will receive the rails d d of the racks.

From thisdescription it will be seen that I obtain by my invention a most important advantage-viz., great facility for cleaning the trough and keeping it clean; also, that I am enabled to readily supply food to the trough, either before or during the feeding ofthe sheep, and to adapt the rack and trough to food of various kinds. This I do by a Very simple and cheap contrivance, Which can be made by any ordinary Workman.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A combined sheep-rack and trough, so

constructed and arranged that its racks can be thrown down, as represented in Fig. 4, and also raised and brought together and fastened,

as represented in Fig. 3,V substantially as and y for the purposes set forth.

2. So constructing and pivoting the bottom of a combined sheep-rack and trough that it will open and close, substantially as described.

3. The combination of the hinged racks which adjoin when closed with the fasteningboards D, substantially as described.

A. D. STANSBURY.

Witnesses A. D. TRUAX, E. N. ROBINSON. 

